Volunteers help with Casa Conejo cleanup

Delores Brevik (left) holds the gate open for volunteer Dave Ayers as he takes a headboard to a collection truck during the Casa Conejo community cleanup event Saturday.

Special to The Star

Neighbors were helping neighbors Saturday during the Newbury Park/Casa Conejo community beautification event.

Casa Conejo residents and about 15 volunteers helped at Newbury Park High School as they loaded trucks full of recyclables and trash for what they called a community spring cleaning.

They also went out to assist seniors and disabled community members who couldn't make it to the high school.

County Supervisor "Linda Parks has organized this Casa Conejo beautification event, so we are helping seniors, particularly, who get to a point where they realize they need assistance and aren't able to do it on their own," said Janell Smith, a Casa Conejo Municipal Advisory Council board member. "One of our gals, Delores Brevik, just celebrated her 82nd birthday and she recently had a funeral for her son and needs some help."

Smith donned gloves to help a team load the truck. Volunteers at Brevik's house included Smith's husband, Roger, along with David Ayers and Bill Deemer.

"This is fantastic for people like me who can no longer do the things I used to be able to do," Brevik said. "There should be more people who are willing to help people when they get older so they can stay in their homes."

At the high school, Howard Hope with Integrated Waste Management was making sure everything ran smoothly.

"We're out here helping the neighborhood clean up their environment and making it a better place for people to view and live in," Hope said. "There are roughly five electronic recyclers and nine work-furlough people who are unloading vehicles, paying their debt to society."

David Goldstein, analyst with Ventura County Integrated Waste Management, said there are two purposes for the cleanup day:

"To avoid illegal dumping by giving the community the opportunity to dispose of bulky items," Goldstein said. "Also to increase recycling. There is recycling for green waste and wood, cardboard and metal."

Dan Watson dropped off some electronics.

"This is fabulous," he said. "You collect stuff over the years and it's hard to get rid of it. To have a place that is central to the community and easy to access is wonderful. The volunteers are fantastic and so helpful. I saw them locally go out and help the seniors that can't get out to do it themselves. I'm proud that we have this in our community."

Also participating was Rick Horvet.

"I like this because it's hard to get rid of some of this stuff at times. I live just across the street, so it's very convenient," Horvet said. "I just brought some small electronic pieces, leftover batteries from some retired computers and broken fluorescent bulbs, but I'm going home to get two large console TV's that I have. I don't want to send them to a landfill."

Irene Layman also dropped off items.

"I am so grateful they are doing this," Layman said. "I've had so many things piling up in the garage and the yard. Two old lawn mowers that don't work. Luckily, this gentleman said he is going to fix them, so someone will benefit from them. I thank the Casa Conejo community spring cleaning so much.

"You let things go for such a long time. I'm on my way home to get a second load."